Spark-arrester.



T. M. VAN HORN.

SPARK ARRESTER;

APPLICATION FILED Nov 2a. 1915.

Patented Sept. 1917.

T. M. VAN HORN.

SPARK ARRESTER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV, I6. 1915.

pm W

m aw

T. M. VAN HORN.

SPARK ARRESTER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV, I6. m5.

LMLWQ. Patented Sept. 25, 1917.

3 SHEETS$HEET 3.

THOMAS M. VAN HORN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPABK-ARRESTER.

Specification of Letters-Patent.

Patented Sept. 25, 191?.

Application filed November 16, 1915. Serial No. 61,736.

To all whom it may concern:

Be 'it known that I, THOMAS M. VAN Homv, a resident of Chicago, countyof Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Spark-Arresters, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawlngs, forming a part thereof.

-My invention relates generally to spark arresters designed for use inthe front end of locomotives, and has reference more particularly to thecentrifugal type deslgned to eliminate the use of screens in front ends.

The invention has for one of its prnnary objects to provide a compact,durable and efficient form of this type of arrester capable of beingemployed in the front end of a standard locomotive. Another object of myinvention is the provision of novel means for ejecting, at will, thecinders deposited in the receptacle provided to receive them. A stillfurther object is to produce a simplified unitary structure composed ofbut a few partshaving the capability of cheap manufacture, ease inassemblage, and quick application to the front end when so assemf bled.

My invention also contemplates certain novel details of construction,combination and arrangement of parts of the improved device, whereby toimprove the constructlon and increase the efficiency and utility ofdevices of this character, as will be more fully described hereinafter,and pointed out in the claims.

These, together with such other ob ects as may hereinafter appear, orare lncident to my invention, I obtain by means of the constructionillustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: p I

Figure 1 representsa side elevation of a locomotive partly in section,illustrating the application of my invention thereto;

Fig. '2 is-a' central vertical section, slightly enlarged, of the frontend shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the arrester;

Fig. 4 is a central horizontal section taken through the line IV-IV ofFig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a central vertical section along the line VV of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 represents a view in perspective of the improved arrester.

My invention is herein exemplified as ap plied in connection with alocomotrve boiler of the present standard type, and in which the numeral10 indicates the shell and 11 the front end of the locomotive, 12 thefire tubes through which the products of combustion pass from the firebox into the smoke box, 13

is the flue sheet, 14 the smoke stack, 15 the exhaust nozzle dischargingupwardly toward and through the smoke stack to accelerate the draft, and16 represents the dia-- a centrifugal arresting or separating de-' viceindicated as a whole at A in Fig. 1. This device is disposed in thesmoke box intermediately of the stack 14 and front 18, and is designedto impart one or more vertically disposed spiral revolutions to theproducts of combustion as they pass through the restricted passage 9formed by the diaphragm and the contiguous lower portion of the shell.In constructing this device, I preferably provide a rear plate or baffle19 extending entirely across the smoke box between the sides thereof anddepending from that portion of the upper shell adjacent to and forwardlyof the stack down to the lip 16 of the diaphragm.

Projecting forwardly from this rear plate 19 is a tubular collar 20which has its rear peripheral portion mounted in a centrally disposedaperture formed in the'plate 19, and positioned forwardly of this plateis the other component element of the device. This element includes thefront segmental plate member 21 formed about a portion of the forwardperiphery of the collar 20 and extending radially between such por tionand a corresponding portion of the shell, as best shown in Figs. 3 and.6 of the drawings. The upper and lower terminal edge portions of theplate member are indicated respectively by the reference nu merals 22,23, the latter being disposed in the vertical median line of the memberand the former being obtusely inclined with reference to other said edgeportion and constitutes the upper boundary of the outlet pas- Sage 24 ofthe device, the lower boundary being formed by the deflecting platemember 25 which is secured to and inclines downwardly and forwardly fromthe rear plate 19, just above the passage to a point approximatelymidway of the collar 20. This deflecting member 25 merges with the loweredge portion 23 of the front plate by the interposition of the angularmember indicated as a whole by the reference numeral 26. These members25 and 26 bridge between the collar and the shell, and form the spiralportion of the front plate element. An equivalent construction might ofcourse be employed, but I prefer the arrangement shown for the reasonthat it can be very easily and cheaply made.v

As will be readily perceived, the device A practically effects adivision of the smoke box into the two compartments 27 and 28, theforward compartment 27 communicating with the rear compartment throughthe collar 20, which latter constitutes a conduit 40 for the gases tothe smoke stack subsequent to the deposit of the cinders in thereceptacle 29 provided in the forward compartment.

This receptacle is normally closed to the atmosphere, and may beprovided with an opening 30, and cap 31 therefor, removal of whichpermits the removal of the deposit of cinders, or the ejecting meansdisclosed in Fig. 1 may be employed with advantage, or any equivalentdevice.

Referring to Fig. l of the drawings, it will be seen that I provide acinder discharge pipe 32 which is associated at one end with the openbottom of the receptacle 29 by an elbow connection 33. The nu meral 34indicates a steam supply or blast pipe extending from the steam space ofthe boiler past thecab 35 and thence forwardly and downwardly to haveits nozzle end 34f project into the said elbow connection 33 Acontrolling valve for the supply pipe may be provided, as at 36, and acheck valve 37 may also be provided at, the outlet end of the dischargepipe 32, said end preferably though not necessarily terminating in' theash-pan 38 of the locomotive.

With the foregoing parts positioned and arranged as stated, theoperation is substantially as follows: It will be understoodof coursethat a partial vacuum is produced in the compartments 27 and '28 and inthe conduit 40 by thehigh velocity discharge of steam exhausting fromthe nozzle through the stack, the vacuum inducing a rapid fiow of theproducts of combustion from the fire tubes and through the contractedthroat or passage 9 of the diaphragm into the device A before they"reach the front compartment.

With the nozzle exhausting to the stack a flow is induced in thedirection of the latter from the front compartment 27 through thecentral horizontal passage 40. Itwill be obvious that in passing throughthe throat or passage 9 and the device vA the products of combustionrevolve in the vertically and spirally disposed passage 39 formedtherein, and at such a velocity that the revolving movement of theproducts of combustion continues in the front compartment after leavingthe discharge outlet 24, which latter is in direct communication withand lies in said compartment. The centrifugal force thus invoked effectsa radial movement of the solid particles toward the shell where theycontinue to revolve in a circumferential plane until all of theparticles gravitate into the hopper receptacle 29.

Inasmuch as the horizontal condult or passage 40 is centrally disposedabout the axis of this circumferential plane of movement andconsiderably restricted in cross-sectional area when compared with thatof the front compartment, it will be apparent that so long as thiscircumferential movement of the particles is maintained only the gasescan pass through this conduit and then out through the stack.v Theconstruction and arrangement of the device is such that operativelyconsidered the circumferential portion of the front compartmentvirtually may be made in the features of construction and arrangementwithout departing from the spirit. and scope of my invention andimprovements. I therefore reserve the right to all such variations andmodifications as properly fall within the scope of my invention and theterms of the following claims,

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use what I claimas new and desire to secure by, Letters P-atent,-. is the following".110 1. In combination w th a locomotive smoke box and stack, andan-exhaust nozzle, of a spark arresting device having a passageconstructed for causing the products of combustion to revolve in thefront end of the smoke box whereby to separate the solid particles fromthe exhaust gases, said arresting device arranged on said front end andprovided with an outlet for said products of combustion disposedforwardly of said nozzle and stack, and a conduit for conducting theexhaust gases rearwardly to the stack. I

2. In combination with a locomotive smoke box and stack, of a sparkarresting devicehaving a passage spirally arranged in said smoke box forcausing the products of combustion to make one or more revolutions inthe front end of the box whereby to effect a separation of the solidparticles and the exhaust gases, said device having an outlet for saidproducts disposed in said front end forwardly of said stack andconstructed for conducting the separated exhaust gases rearwardly tothestack, and a receptacle disposed adjacent said outlet to receive thesolid particles.

3. The combination with, a locomotive smoke box and stack, of a sparkarresting device substantiall vertically disposed in said smoke box wereb to form a front compartment located orwardly of said stack andprovided with a passage constructed for causing the products ofcombustion to peripherally revolve in the front compartment whereby toseparate at that point the solid particles from the exhaust gases, and arearwardly extending conduit positioned centrally with reference to saidfront compartment'adapted for conducting the exhaust gases therefrom tosaid stack.

4. The combination with 'a locomotive smoke box and stack, of a sparkarresting device disposed in said smoke box whereby to form a frontcompartment located'forwardly of said stack and vprovided with a passageconstructed for causing the prod nets of combustion to peripherallyrevolve in the front compartment whereby to separate at that point thesolid particles from the exhaust gases, and a conduit positionedcentrally with reference to said front compartment adapted forconducting the ex haust gases therefrom to said stack, said passagespirally arranged about the said conduit.

' 5. The combination with a locomotive smoke box and stack, of a sparkarresting device disposed and arranged in said smoke box whereby to formfront and rear compartments therein, the rear compartment communicatingwith the stack, said device provided with an outlet in the frontcompartment and an inlet closed off from the rear compartment, and anexhaust conduit leading from the front to the rear compart-' mentfor'conducting exhaust gases to the stack.

6. In a locomotive front end, the combination with a stack and-a nozzledischarging theretoward, of a spark arresting device positionedsubstantially vertically in said front end whereby to form front andrear compartments therein, said device being formed with a rear inletand a front outlet for the passage of the solid and gaseous products ofcombustion to the front compartment and having a conduit for conduct.-ing the gases from the'front to the rear compartment, the nozzledischarging to said stack in the rear compartment.

7. The combination with a. locomotive smoke box and stack, of a sparkarresting to the rear compartment for conducting the exhaust gasesrearwardly to the stack.

8. A locomotive front end arrangement comprising in combination with asmoke box and stack, an exhaust'nozzle, and a diaphragm, of a means forimparting one or more vertically disposed revolutions to the products ofcombustion in the front end pore tion of the smoke box whereby to effecta separation .of the solid particles from the exhaust gases at thatpoint, said means comprising a separating device provided with a'spirally arranged passage having its inlet shut off from the stack bysaid diaphragm and its outlet disposed in said front end forwardly ofthe nozzle and stackand provided with a second passage for conductingthe exhaust gases from said front end back to the stack, said nozzleextending through the diaphragm to discharge toward said stack.

9. In a locomotive front end, a spark arresting device positioned in thesmoke box to form front and rear compartments therein, said deviceprovided with a passage constructed to impart one or more vertically andspirally disposed revolutions in said front compartment to the productsof combustion whereby to separate the solid particles from the exhaustgases and having its outlet opening into the front compartment and itsinlet closed off from the rear compartment, a stack leading outwardlyfrom said rear compartment, and a conduit constituting anexhaust passageleading from the front to the rear compartment.

10. The combination with the locomotive front end and stack, of aunitary spark arresting device disposed in said front end to provide afront compartment and formed,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

THOMAS M. VAN HORN.

